An alphoid-like satellite DNA sequence is present in the genome of a lacertid lizard.
A PstI DNA family was isolated from the genome of a lacertid, Lacerta graeca. The 185-bp monomeric unit (pGPS) was cloned and hybridized to DNAs and chromosomes of several lacertid species. The data showed that pGPS hybridizes to the (1) centromeric or pericentromeric heterochromatin of almost all the chromosomes of L. graeca and (2) genomic DNA of species phylogenetically related and unrelated to L. graeca. The presence of pGPS even in species immunologically apart more than 30 million years suggests that this repeated family might be either very ancient or have been conserved during evolution due to its functional role. The latter hypothesis might be supported by the results of sequence analysis which showed some homology with both several alphoid sequences of primates and the CDEIII centromeric sequence of yeast. Segments of the satellite sequence are similar to the mammalian CENP-B box. These observations suggest that pGPS might have a role in determining the centromeric function in lacertid lizards.
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Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Comparata, Università di Napoli "Federico II," Via Mezzocannone 8, Napoli, Italy.
De Santo
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Odierna
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Olmo
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D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens; D001483:Base Sequence; D002503:Centromere / Q000235:genetics; D051936:Centromere Protein B; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics; D004276:DNA, Satellite; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000235:genetics; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008116:Lizards / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
D001324:Autoantigens; D051936:Centromere Protein B; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004276:DNA, Satellite; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C024388:CTGCAG-specific type II deoxyribonucleases; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific